Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Cleveland County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 255,755 at the 2010 census. It is the third most populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is Norman. Cleveland County is part of the Oklahoma City, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Oklahoma City-Shawnee, OK Combined Statistical Area. History Originally occupied by the Quapaw tribe, the Quapaw ceded the area to the U.S. Government soon after the Louisiana Purchase in 1818. During the late 1820s and 1830s, the area was given to the Creek and Seminole tribes after their forced removal from the southeastern United States. An agreement between the two tribes resulted in this area being part of the Seminole Nation, located west of the Creek Nation. In 1866, these tribes were forced to cede the area to the Federal Government for siding with the Confederacy during the American Civil War . The area became part of the Unassigned Lands and was opened for white settlement on April 22, 1889. After the passage of the Organic Act in 1890, Cleveland County was organized as County 3 and Norman became the county seat. For a short time, Cleveland County was known as Little River County, until an election in 1890. The voters selected the name Cleveland in honor of President Grover Cleveland over the name Lincoln.Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Cleveland County accessed 2/12/2011 Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.98%) is water. It is the seventh smallest county in the state. Cleveland County contains the reservoir Lake Thunderbird , constructed between 1962 and 1965. Cleveland County is the origin of the Little River, a tributary of the Canadian River, long. The Canadian River defines the southern border of Cleveland County. Adjacent counties *Oklahoma County (north) *Pottawatomie County (east) *McClain County (southwest) *Canadian County (northwest) Demographics 2013 Estimate }} As of the census of 2010, there were 255,755 people, 98,306 households, and 64,182 families residing in the county. The population density was 458 people per square mile (177/km²). There were 104,821 housing units at an average density of 188 per square mile (72.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 4.2% black or African American, 4.7% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Seven percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 98,306 households, of which almost half (49.9%) included married couples living together and more than a third (34.7%) were non-families. Almost a third (32.9%) included children under the age of 18, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present. More than a fourth (25.9%) of households consisted of a sole individual and 6.9% were individuals 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.7 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males. The median income for a household in the county was $53,759, and the median income for a family was $67,412. Males had a median income of $45,580 versus $34,801 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,640. About 7.2% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. Politics Education The University of Oklahoma is located in Norman. It is the largest university in Oklahoma with approximately 30,000 students. Libraries Pioneer Library System operates branch libraries in ten cities in Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie counties. Transportation Airports The University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport is owned by the University of Oklahoma and located northwest of Norman. Major highways * Interstate 35 * Interstate 44 * U.S. Highway 62 * U.S. Highway 77 * State Highway 9 * State Highway 37 * State Highway 39 * State Highway 77H Communities *Etowah *Lexington *Moore *Noble *Norman *Oklahoma City † *Slaughterville :† Oklahoma City is located primarily in Oklahoma County, but a small part extends into Cleveland County. NRHP sites The following sites in Cleveland County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: References External links * Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Cleveland County * Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory Category:Oklahoma City metropolitan area Category:Cleveland County, Oklahoma Category:1890 establishments in Oklahoma Territory Category:Settlements established in 1890 Category:Counties of Oklahoma